You and I both know that getting older is inevitable…if you’re lucky.  But are we both consciously aware that the quality of our years is very much in our court both mentally and physically and it is never too late to start.

A new study has shown people even well into their 90’s can benefit from regular strength and endurance training. In fact, working out for just three months twice a week is enough to give significant improvements in flexibility, strength, balance and stamina regardless of your age.

The a fore mentioned was, published in the journal Age, researchers at the University of Navarra in Spain trained and tested a group of 24 people aged between 91 and 96 for 12 weeks. One group of 11 trained twice a week, carrying out vigorous exercises for strength and to improve balance. The 13 others did 30 minutes of far less strenuous mobility training, including gentle stretching and flexibility exercises. At the end of the experiment, the first group showed increased muscle, improvement in walking speed, hip and knee flexibility making daily activities such as getting out of a chair or walking along without fear of falling much easier. Those who did less strenuous training were not as successful.

From a practical point of view the results of the study point to the importance of implementing exercise programs in patients of this type, exercises to develop muscle power, balance and walking.

Along with the quality of movement in a person’s life staying fit also lowers the risk of developing major diseases or disabilities and promotes good mental health, and an active social life.

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